The Andrews Labor Government in Victoria has created a ‘Mini Melbourne‘ inside Minecraft, which is definitely not something I thought I’d be reading, let alone writing about today. Designed for educational purposes, the virtual CBD will let players explore, build, and discover things within it.
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The project is a collaboration between The Department of Education and Training and the Metro Tunnel Project, which is aiming to teach students “more about Melbourne and Victoria’s past, present and future”. There’s even a multiplayer experience called the Archaeology Adventure, which is based on actual work done during the Metro Tunnel Project at “historically significant sites”.
“It introduces students to the basic principles of archaeology and the importance of investigating and preserving our heritage,” its description reads. “The activity also reinforces teamwork, record keeping and problem-solving skills as students try to uncover as many artefacts as possible and come up with their own interpretation of the site’s history.”
Whether you’re a student or not, the map is available to download for free via the Fuse website, so you can jump right in and build a huge dick in Federation Square or whatever you want.
It’s not just a small section of the city, either. According to the Metro Tunnel website, it’s a whopping 600,000m2, which is pretty dang impressive. It will be made available to primary and secondary school students across the state.
“Innovations such as this engage young people in problem-solving and STEM subjects, inspiring them to work on city-shaping projects,” Minister for Education, James Merlino, said in a release.
“Young Victorians will gain a new appreciation for the Metro Tunnel, which will deliver more trains more often,” Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Jacinta Allan, added.
It’s a fairly strange project to be putting out there, but kids fucking love Minecraft, so in that respect, I suppose it makes sense. I, for one, look forward to seeing the weird additions people make to the Mini Melbourne.
